All My Children - NEWS ROOM

In our 'All My Children' News Room, Soaps.com keeps you up-to-date with the latest Soap Opera news on the net. We also feature interviews with the soap stars, as well as local appearances by the actors and actresses.

Soaps.com Chats with AMC's Amanda Baker!

It's been a year since Amanda Baker changed the role of Babe Carey Chandler forever. Soaps.com recently had the chance to catch up with Amanda to chat about the past year and what the future holds now for Babe - and her extended Chandler and Carey families!

Soaps.com: "You've been on the show a year now … tell us how life has changed."

Amanda Baker: "It's been awesome! I always wanted to live in New York City, so that was a dream come true! Once I got here and got settled, it was just awesome. New York has so much culture, and I have been able to grow as a person, just living here by the Hudson River and growing as an actor. It's good that you can be given a script and learn 40 pages and feel comfortable with that. You get to know so much about the character that you don't question things, you just do it instantaneously."

Soaps.com: "When you came into the role, Alexa (Havins, ex-Babe) had - literally - just left. Was it hard at all to take on a role that so many fans associate with another actress?"

Amanda Baker: "It was. I fortunately had the opportunity to work with her on her last day, which was my first day. It was kind of bittersweet but when you go into a character who as been established by another actor, it's hard to take on. You want everybody to love you but a lot of people don't like change. In time, though, people get used to it."

Soaps.com: "Babe has grown a lot in the past year. Do you like the differences in Babe?"

Amanda: "I do! I think that she has become a lot more responsible. She's definitely made some changes within herself, become more mature. At one point in time, especially with JR, a lot of her choices were careless and she thought too much with her heart. I think that is why she has finally fallen back in love with JR - and changed him for the better as well."

Soaps.com: "Tell us about working with Bobbie Eakes (Krystal), Jacob Young (JR) and David Canary (Adam)."

Amanda as Babe (Soaps.com)

Amanda: "David Canary is a Daytime legend. He is amazing! You get on set with him and you see why he's been nominated for so many Emmy's and won so many. He's a riot; to watch him go from David to Adam in a second is amazing to watch! Bobbie, she is a Southerner like me so we bonded very, very quickly. She's so easy to talk to and we laugh a lot. Jacob and I have grown very close because, with an on-screen love interest, you have to be good friends. He's the jokester of the group."

Soaps.com: "Jacob's also going to be a parent very soon…"

Amanda: "He's always been so good with the kids. They warm up to him so quickly. He's going to be a great dad! He's getting a little nervous but he's ready, you know? Whatever he decides to take on, he's ready!"

Soaps.com: "On the show, JR just proposed to Babe. Is this renewed romance a fun storyline to play out? Or would you rather focus on Babe's business sense and the Fusion takeover?"

Amanda: "It's nice to have both because, in anybody's life, you have both. In order for them to hone in on what's going on in Babe's life, it has to be personal, too. [JR and Babe have] finally reached a point where they can be in love and she knows that this is the man she will always love."

Soaps.com: "Can you give us a few teasers about what is coming up for Babe?"

Amanda: "Look out for the romance! Babe and JR are moving forward and there will be complications. Pay attention to Fusion with the perfume - lots of drama there! Within the whole town there is a lot of drama."

Soaps.com: "Vincent Irizarry is returning as David in a few weeks. Are you excited about working with him?"

Amanda: "Yes! I hear that he is an amazing actor! Knowing that he's coming back is very exciting."

Soaps.com: "Since the announcement that Vincent was coming back as David and a few characters might be killed off in a tornado, rumors have been floating around that Babe could be a casualty…can you confirm/deny that rumor?"

Amanda: "It's always kind of up in the air as far as those [storyline] things are concerned but David is coming back for a number of reasons! That's all I can say!"

Well, fans, it looks like we're going to have to stay tuned!

We'll have more of Amanda's question and answer session in a few days. Amanda will tell us what she does to "go green" and just how she survives those long days on the set!

USER COMMENTS

Posted by cynical bill at
Monday, September 22 2008 09:41 AM

I am thrilled that the soap press has stopped referring to Amanda as "nu-Babe". That was a real dig meaning that the actress was more important than the character. Anyone who saw her on NIGHT SHIFT (1st Season) already knew just how talented she is.

Posted by aking72762 at
Monday, September 22 2008 10:44 AM

doesn't seem like it's been a year, time flies by, eventhough soap life is streatched to the limits. Thanks Amanda Baker for doing a great job.

Posted by Stayler at
Monday, September 22 2008 12:00 PM

I never saw the soap opera press refer to Amanda Baker as Nu-Babe. I saw them call her The New Babe, but that was at the beginning and because she was.

But the Nu-Babe wording is a message board thing, and a lot of message board fans still call her that, while a lot of offliners still call her the new Babe.

Posted by jumps at
Monday, September 22 2008 12:57 PM

Gotta disagree cynical bill.....using "nu" is not a dig, IMHO. I use it all the time for recasts.

Posted by Judipur at
Monday, September 29 2008 10:13 AM

I think Amanda has taken the ball as Babe and ran with it. She's a lovely young lady and I for one hope her stay in Pine Valley is for a long time to come. To me this Babe is more likeable than the first one was.

Posted by lucyann1910 at
Wednesday, October 22 2008 06:34 PM

Why did All My Children get rid of Amanda Baker when they could have gotton rid of Krystal, Petie, Colby, Amanda, and Annie? There is five actresses/actor that is getting a pay check who can not act or keep viewers coming back to watch All My Children. Please someone take notice.

Posted by christianlady43 at
Monday, October 27 2008 07:13 PM

I hated it when the old Alexa Havin's left her role as babe.Back when I started watching AMC babe was with Jamie.I loved them together and then Jamie left and they replaced Babe.And I started enjoying seeing the new Babe and JR back together.I still enjoyed watching Amanda Baker play the role of Babe..I think AMC made a BIG MISTAKE,killing the character of Babe off the show.I do like Kendall alot on the show,But no-one will ever be as good as Babe to me..The episode that Babe and Krystal had as mom and daughter were un speakable,they were the BEST..They showed how a mom and daughter's relationship should be...Babe was Krystal's heartbeat on the show and now Krystal's role on here will never be the same........Best of luck with your future story lines,you will never have the intertainment that babe gave the veiwer's...So Krystal and JR when you get bored with AMC,go on over to Days of our live's.I'm sure they can lighten up your life again....I will be going back to Day's so I hope to see you there!!!!!!! Mary from GA!!!!!

Posted by Hoodat at
Friday, October 31 2008 10:33 AM

What will Amanda be doing? I agree with Lucyann 1910, I hope this was Amanda's decision not AMC, she was my favorite character. There are many characters that bore me to tears and are poorly developed.